Valve-controlling mechanism.



No. 847,219. PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

' 0. W. AKBRS. I

VALVE CONTROLLING- MECHANISM.

AIPLICATION FILED NOV. 1.1904.

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YPATENTEDY MAR. 12, 1907.

v G. W. AKBRS. VALVE CONTROLLING'MEGHANISM.

APPLIOATIONFILBD NQV. 1, 1904.

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CHARLES W. AKERS, OF BLUEFIELD, WEST VIRGINIA.

VALVE-CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed November 1, 1904. Serial No. 230,999.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. AKERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bluefield, in the county of Mercer and State of T/VestVirginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Valve-Controlling Mechan ism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in air-compressors embodying aduplex compression-engine; and it consists in the construction andarrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and particularlypointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central horizontal sectionalelevation of an air-compressor embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is acentral vertical sectional elevation of asingle-cylinder engine, showingthe invention applied thereto.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate the cylinders of a duplexcompressionengine, there being disposed for reciprocation within saidcylinders pistons 3 and 4, carried by rods 5, connected at their outerends to a walking-beam or cross-head 6, in turn pivoted at itslongitudinal center to a support 7, affixed to the cylinders.

Arranged between the cylinders 1 and 2 is a steam-chest 8, provided withan inlet-port 9 and an exhaust-port 10 and having, respectively,adjacent its opposite ends supplemental exhaust-ports 11, communicatingwith the external atmosphere, the steamchest being adapted forcommunication with the cylinder 1 through the medium of a passage orduct 12 and with the cylinder 2 by a passage or duct 13, the ducts 12and 13 having ports 14 and 15 entering the steam-chest 8.

Arranged for reciprocation within the chest 8 is a slide-valve 16,adapted for alternately opening and closing the ports 14 and 15, thisvalve being carried by a rod or mem' ber 17, having at its ends heads18, which fit snugly within the chest and serve, respectively, toalternately close the ports 11, while the valve 16 is provided, asusual, with a steam space or passage 19 for establishing communicationbetween one or the other of the ports 14 and 15 and the exhaust-port 10.

Leading from one end of the steam-chest 8 is a pipe or duct 20, whichcommunicates with the front end of cylinder 1 through the medium of astuffing-box 21, inclosing a valve-rod 22, provided at its outer endwith a head 23 and at its inner end with a valve 24, designed fornormally closing a port 25 in the cylinder-head, while leading from theother end of the steam-chest is a pipe or duct 26, communicating withthe forward end of the cylinder 2 through the medium of a stuffingbox27, in which is arranged for reciprocation a valve-stem 28, having atits outer end a head 29 and at its inner end a valve 30, designed fornormally closing a port 31 in the adjacent head of the cylinder, therebeing carried by the piston-rods 5 adjacent their outer ends fixed armsor abutments 32, adapted for contact, respectively, with the heads 23 29to open the corresponding valves 24 and at the completion of theinstroke of the pistons.

The cylinders 1 and 2 are each provided at their inner ends with anair-inlet port 33, normally closed by an inwardly-opening valve 34 andwith an egress-port 35, normally closed by an outwardly-opening valve36, arranged within a stuffing-box 37, from which a pipe or duct 38leads to a compressed-air tank or reservoir 39.

In practice, supposing the parts occupy the positions illustrated inFig. 1, steam will enter the chest 8 through inletort 9 and thencethrough duct 13 to the cy inder 2 for driving the piston 4 forward, asindicated by the arrow, while the piston 3 within the cylinder 1 will atthe same time be moved upon its outstroke. As the piston 3 moves outwardly the valve 34, leading to the cylinder 1, is opened, thuspermitting the piston to draw a charge of air into said cylinder, whilethe air previously drawn into the cylinder 2 is upon the instroke ofiston 4 compressed and expelled throug port 35 and duct 38 into the tank39. At the completion of the instroke of. piston 4 abutment 32 on itsrod 5 contacts with the head of valvestem 27, thus opening the valve 30and permitting a percentage of the steam within the cylinder 2 to passthrough the pipe or duct 26 into the forward end of chest 8 for actingon the adjacent head 18 to shift the valve 16. The valve when shiftedopens the previouslyclosed port 14 and establishes communication betweenport 15 and exhaust-port 10, whereupon the steam within the cylinder 2may upon the outstroke of piston 4 be exhausted through duct 13 and port10, as usual, it being understood, of course, that at the beginning ofthe outstroke of piston 4 the valve 30 immediately closes, therebycutting ofl communication betweenthe cylinder 2 and steam-chest 8. Thevalve 16 having been shifted, steam entering at the port 9 will find itsway through duct 12 into the cylinder 1 for effecting the instroke ofpiston 3, thus compressing the charge of .air within the cylinder andexpelling it through port 35 and duct 38 into the air-tank in the mannerjust described, it being obvious that at the begin ning of the instrokeof the piston valve 34 will be closed. At the completion of the instroke of piston 3 abutment 32 operates the valve 24, thus permitting apercentage of the steam within the cylinder to pass through duct 20 tothe steam-chest for again shifting the valve 16, the steam which hadpreviously entered the forward end of the steam-chest for moving thevalve being upon the reverse movement of the latter compressed by theadjacent head 18 and exhausted through the port 11 prior to said portbeing closed by the head 18. When the member 17 has completed itsvalve-shifting movementsay, for example, to the position illustrated inFig. 1- the forward port 11 will be closed by the adjacent head 18,while at the same time there will'be confined in the steam-chestsuflicient air or steam to serve as a cushion for preventingcontact ofthe head 18 with the end of the steam-chest.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated a single-cylinder engine, in which 40designates the cylinder sustained by a base or support 41 and having areciprocatory piston 42, carried by a. piston-rod 43, equipped adjacentits outer end with oppositely-extended fixed arms or abutments 44 45,the engine being provided with a steam-chest 46, adapted to communicatewith opposite ends of the cylinder 40 through the medium of passages orducts 47 48 and having an inlet-port 49 and an exhaust-port 50. Arrangedfor reciprocation within the steam-chest is a slide-valve 51, adaptedfor alternately closing the ports 47 48 and having a steam-space 52,designed to establish communication between either of said ports and theexhaust-port 50, this valve being carried by a reciprocatory rod ormember 53, equipped at its ends with heads 54 for alternately closingexhaust-ports 55, as in the construction heretofore described.Communicating with and leading from one end of'the steam-chest 46 is apipe or duct 56, which communicates with the forward end of the cylinder40 through a stuffing-box 57, while leading from the other end of thesteamchest is a pipe or duct 58, communicating with the rear end of thecylinder 40 through a stuffing-box 59. Arranged for reciprocation withinthe stuffing-box 57' is a valvestem 60, provided at its outer end with ahead 6l and at its inner end with a valve 62, adapted-for normallyclosing a port 63 in the adjacent head of the cylinder, there beingarrangedin the stuffing-box 59 a similar valve stem 64, having a head 65and carrying a valve 66 designed for closing a port 67 in the adjacentcylinder-head. Contacting with the head 65 of the valve 66 is one end ofan actuating member or lever 68, centrally pivoted to a support 69 andpivotally connected at its other end with a longitudinally-slidable operating member or rod 70, in tur'n vconnected with a pivoted member orlever 71, lying in the path of the arm or abutment 45.

In practice, supposing the parts to be in the position illustrated inFig. 2, steam entering through the port 49 to the steam-chest finds itsway through passage 48 into the rear end of the cylinder, thus effectingthe outstroke of piston 42. At the completion of the outstroke abutment45' will contact with member 71, and thus through the the dium of rod 70and lever 68 open valve 66, thereby permitting a percentage of steam toescape from the cylinder and pass through duct 58 into the forward endof the steamchest, where it will act upon the adjacent head 54 to shiftthe valve 51, it being apparent that when the valve is shifted passage48 will be in communication with the exhaustport 50 and passage'47opened. Steam then travels from the chest 46 through passage 47 foreffecting the instroke ofthe piston, at the completion of which latterthe arm 44 contacts with the outer end of stem 60, thereby opening valve62 and permittin a percentage of steam to travel through uct 56 andenter the rear end of the steam-chest, thus to act upon the adj acenthead 54 for again shifting the valve. Upon each movement of the valvethe dead steam contained in the chest in the line of travel of the valvewill be compressed by one of the heads 54 and exhausted through thecorresponding port 55 until the latter is closed by the head, a percentae of air or steam being, however, confined by the head to serve as acushion for preventing contact of the head with the end of the chest, asheretofore explained. It is ap parent that by controlling the exhaust ofsteam from the chest through the ports 55 the movement of valve 51 maybe controlled for varying the supply of steam to the enginecylinder,thus regulating the speed of the engine and dispensing with the usualgovernor.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I produce a simple mechanism inwhich the valve within the steam-chest will be posi tively andautomatically shifted for admitting-steam alternately to the cylindersof a double-actin engine or toopposite ends of a single-cylin er engine.In attaining these ends it is to be understood that various minorchanges-in the details hereinset forth may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- In adevice of the class described, a pair of cylinders, pistons-movabletherein, a steamchest having inlet and exhaust ports and provided withpassages leading to the respective cylinders, a valve movable in thechest and adapted for bringing said passages alternately intocommunication with the eX- haust, said valve being equipped with headsfitted in the chest, a duct leading from one end of the chest to theforward end of one of the cylinders, a second duct leading from theother end of the chest to the forward end of the other cylinder, valvesdisposed in the ducts for controlling communication between the same andthe respective cylinders,

l l l l and abutments carried by the piston-rods for automaticallyoperating the controllingvalves at the completion of the instroke of thepiston, whereby steam from the cylinders is admitted to and for movingthe valve in the chest.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES W. AKERS.

Witnesses-2 O. C. HrNEs, F. S. ELMORE.

